The teenage friends who run the charity Jingle Bell Mistletoe are trying to outdo themselves and raise money in the process. On Sunday, they will attempt to break a Guinness World Record.
"We're trying to break the Guinness World Record for the most couples kissing under the mistletoe," Trevor Godkin said as he cut mistletoe in sprigs of at least 15 centimeters, a Guinness World Record requirement.
Jingle Bell Mistletoe set the record in 2018 with 340 couples kissing under the mistletoe, but another group surpassed them.
For the 18-year-old friends who run Jingle Bell Mistletoe; Stella Wrubel, Quinn Graves, Trevor Godkin, and Isabella Dickason, it's never been about bragging rights.
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"There's a lot of people around town who I know because they've bought mistletoe every year," Wrubel said.
Wrubel started Jingle Bell Mistletoe when she was just 6 years old, looking for a way to help victims of Hurricane Sandy.
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"I told my parents that I was really upset about it and that I was sad that I was 6 because that meant that I couldn't do anything about it," Wrubel said. "They said you should follow that impulse and do it, and here we are!"
12 years later the charity has raised more than $400,000 for the North Texas Food Bank.
"It's enlightened me a lot more to what's going on in the world," Graves said. "Doing this, we not only see how we can help, we let other people know how they can help and use their position to make the world a little better."
"That's where I've really found satisfaction during the holiday season," Godkin said. "Helping other people rather than focusing on what I'm going to get back."
"It's just totally not what the holidays are about," Wrubel said. "For us, the winter season is about this awesome, fun thing we get to do, for our own enjoyment, but also for the betterment of the community."
The Guinness World Record attempt for most couples kissing under the mistletoe is at Klyde Warren Park this Sunday, December 3 at 2:00 p.m. All the money raised will go to the North Texas Food Bank. To register click here.
